January 24, 2022
To: All Members
From: Ian Crewe, Assistant Executive Director
Re: OHS/Right to Refuse
NLTA Programs and Services staff have received (and continue to receive) a high volume of member contacts regarding the recent decision to return to in-person learning. In particular, questions regarding Occupational Health and Safety legislation and how to exercise one’s right to refuse unsafe working conditions. The decision to exercise one’s right to refuse unsafe working conditions is an individual right, with the ultimate decision being that of the person affected. Each case brings with it a different set of facts/circumstances and is ultimately adjudicated by OHS Division staff whose job it is to review those facts and make decisions based on a number of factors including, but not limited to, a jurisdictional scan of what is occurring in other regions of the country.
If you are seeking more information on this topic, including details of the steps and process involved in exercising one’s right to refuse, please visit the section of our website related to Occupational Health and Safety found here. In addition, if you have further questions and feel that your circumstances do indeed place you in a situation of imminent danger and you would like to explore the possibility of exercising your right to refuse unsafe working conditions, please contact an NLTA administrative officer. This can be done by emailing mail@nlta.nl.ca (this email address is monitored daily.)
